New Guinea Moths Sphingidae (Hawk Moths, Sphinx Moths)

Aside from being a good attached bark camouflage artiste which so happens to have a 'skull symbol' imprinted on its thorax that amuses some human beings this remarkable hawkmoth is very bold. In the darkness of night it seeks the hives of the giant Asian honeybee. The suspended combs hang high in the canopy and honey is the target. The moth fearlessly bussles its way through a coating of sleeping bees to slake its thirst on the sweet prize. This distinctive hawk moth extends through the oriental tropics to the Philippines, south to Borneo and Java and east to New Guinea

The Hawkmoth Family contains over 1,450 described species most of which hold their dead leaflike forewings at rest like this species. The hindwings are usually obscured and may be of muted to bright coloration and contrasting patterns

Spinx Moths are known for their long tongues adapted to feeding from tubular blossoms which they simultaneously pollinate. Sometimes nectar can drip from the flower onto surfaces below especially if juddered by a climbing possum

Within the hawkmoths there is a subgroup that camouflage as suspended fallen dead leaves snagged by forks, attached leaves and vines as they make their way to the forest floor. Amplypterus panopus ranges from India and the Philippines south east to Indonesia. Interestingly an adult moth was collected recently on a Darwin wharf in northern Australia. Perhaps it hitched a ride on a ship visiting from Indonesia? Certainly one of the moth's host plant genera Calophyllum occurs in northern Australia and mangos, another host are commonly grown. They are known to occur on the nearby Indonesian Island of Timor

Ascomeryx, like most of the 1,290 members of its worldwide family, camouflages as paired dead leaves either attached or detached from the parent tree. Ascomeryx anceus extends from India, Thailand, east to Philippines south to Borneo then south east to New Guinea and north east Australia

Members of the genus Daphnis are characterised in part by having a 'batlike or Birdlike' face mask (depending on viewpoint) over the thorax and adjacent forewing. This species Members of the genus Daphnis are characterised in part by having a 'batlike or Birdlike' face mask (depending on viewpoint) over the thorax and adjacent forewing. This species extends from India, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia east to New Guinea and Queensland northern Australia

This species used to go under another name Gnathothlibus eras where it was described as the eastern subspecies G. eras eras in 1832. However a modern look using DNA analysis strongly indicated that 'eras' was sufficiently divergent from 'erotus' to elevate it to species level. This is quite a common phenomenon in taxonomy and has resulted in the revelation of many 'cryptic' species across the animal and plant kingdoms. Gnathothlibus eras extends from Java east to the Philippines and south east to the Moluccas, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, eastern Australia and Cook Islands

Many Hawkmoth caterpillars are spectacularly coloured, brightly patterned, may bear false eyes, and even mimic snake heads. Almost all have a distinct 'tail-horn'. As far goes the correct ID for this Hippotion hawk moth, of the eight species recorded for New Guinea half of them have caterpillar images available on the net that do not match this one. Thus we have a choice of four species; H. echeclus, H. brennus, H. joiceyi and H. brunneus. Then there are the 'known unknowns'. These would be known species from nearby islands not yet recorded on the New Guinea mainland. Our last possibility would be the 'unknown unknowns' which translates to species that are unrecorded by western science which might make this photo the first taken of a hitherto unknown species. However, on another level, this caterpillar that may be unknown by western science but might be well known by local people who see them all the time and they may even have a name for them

Attached lichen-covered bark (verses discarded) is common in the hawk moths. Megacorma has a wide distribution extending from India, Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, Indonesia east to New Guinea and associated Islands

Many hawkmoth caterpillars sport false vertebrate eyes which may, or may not, be on permanent display. This widespread Theretra employs the 'surprise version' whereby the 'eyes' are hidden beneath a forebody segment and suddenly revealed by stretching the head forward. Theretra latreillii is widespread extending from India, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia east to Fiji, New Guinea and northern Australia

As with most hawkmoths this species' caterpillars are generally smooth and bear a 'horn' at their rear ends. Another feature common to most caterpillars are their broad host plant tastes combined with ground colour variability ranging through shades of green to yellow and brown. Theretra silhetensis has a broad range extending from India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Borneo, Indonesia south east to New Guinea, eastern Australia and into the western Pacific including the Solomon Islands, Fiji Islands and Vanuatu